Automatic tuning device for radioreceivers



- J. B. PILLE'N Sept. 13, 1932. 1,877,691

7 AUTOIATIC TUNING DEVICE FOR RADIORECEIVERS Filed may 17. 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet i Jmnkou 2a vase ab 5 I a 7 2 aMMQB ,1. B. PILLEN AUTQIATIC TUNING DEVICE FOR RADIORECEIVERS Sept '13, 1932.

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' wron'nc TUNING DEVICE FOR RADIORECEIVERS I Filed May 17. 1930 5 sheets sheet- 4 Sept. 13, 1932. J. B PILLEN 5 1 AUTOIATIC TUNING bEVICE FOR RADIORECEIVERS Filed May 17, 19:50 5 sneetsi-sheet-"s JESeph Pz'lLen,

Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES JOSEPH B. PILLEN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO AUTOMATIC TUNING DEVICE FOR RADIORECEIVERS Application filed May 17, 1930. Serial No, 453,267.

The present invention relates to radio re ceiving apparatus, and has for an object to provide means for automatically dialing the set to receive various programs at difierent times and from different transmitting stations.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means of the character above stated but which is independent in its mechanism and circuits from the receiver, and which may be mechanically coupled to the dialing or tuning shaft of any adjustable set for completely and automatically controlling the same.

- A further object of the'invention is to provide a device of the above outlined character which embodies not only manually and selectively set means for automatically tuning or dialing the receiver to bring in various stamatically stops or cuts oil from operation the receiver subsequent to the completion of certain prior determined programs, the automatic stop means being also manually and selectively set for such operation.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will be brought out in the following detailed description of the present preferred embodiment thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Figure l is a top plan view of an automatic dialing device constructed according to the present invention, the-electric circuit system of the device being shown diagrammatically.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 behind the front panel or wall.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken through one of the adjustable switch operators. V

Figure 4 is a detail'enlarged section taken transversely through one of the dial stops as applied to the adjacent carrying wheel Figure 5 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 55 of Figure 1 showing a line of the adjustable switch operators and adjacent parts.

Figure 6 isa like View taken on the line tions at desired times, but which also auto-,

66 of Figure Ti and showing the row of dial stops and circuit closers for the same.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of a radio receiving cabinet equipped with the dialing device of this invention.

Figure 8 is a detail enlarged plan view of one of the combined stop and circuit controlling levers in a tripped position with the circuit closed and ready to stop the dial turning mechanism.-

Figure 9 is a like view but with the dial turning mechanism stopped and with the circuit open.

Figure 10 is a longitudinal section through one of the combined stop and circuit controlling levers taken substantially on the line 10-40 of Figure 9.

Figure ii is a side elevation of the end carrvin wheel, showin the reversin switch a H P D and means for operating it.

Figure 12 a perspective enlarged view of one of the combined stop and circuit controlling levers and the mounting therefor.

Figure 13 is a detail perspective viewpf one of the adjustable switch operators with the parts in separated positions, and

Figure 14: is a diagrammatic view of the electric circuit employed.

Referring now to the drawings. 20 designates a cabinet or other suitable frame or sup-- port and within which may be housed the usual radio receiver having a condenser 21 on a shaft- 22 projecting through the front wall of the cabinet 20 and adjusted by a hand dial 23 in the usual manner.

locking the sprocketwheel 26 thereto when desired, While any desired ratio of may be had hetrvecn the shaft I sprocket wheel 24- shown as: the diameter of that of the s; oc

26, A hand lever 29 is suitably in n te the cabinet 20 with one end eug; N

clutch element and its other end ing outwardly through the cabinet series of spaced manual operation to shift the clutch element 28.

The shaft 27 is mounted at opposite ends in bearings 30 secured to the inner walls of the cabinet 20, and the shaft is provided with a pulley 31 engaged by a belt 32 extending from a ulley 33 on a motor 34. The motor 34 may be of any suitable type and have any suitable reduction caring.

The shaft 27 has ed to it a series of carrying wheels 35 which are disposed in spaced apart relation, and each of which is provided with a sto block 36. -As best shown in F igures 4 an 12, each carrying wheel 35 comprises a hub with a central outstanding web and a flat broad peripheral ortion, the'lat-' ter having notches or teeth 3 The block 36 is hollow and provided therein with a pair of pivotally connected fingers 38 normally urged toward each other at the inner edge of the block by a spring 39 housed in the block. The fingers have projections 40 extending laterally from the block 36 in position of easy access for compression to spread the fin ers. The fingers 38 en age in the teeth 37 an hold the block 36 in a justed position on the peripheral portion of the carrying wheel 35. The adjustment of the block 36 on its carrying wheel 35 is determined by a scale of numbers 41 or the like corresponding to the readings on the hand dial 23.

Mounted in the cabinet 20 in spaced relation along one side of the shaft 27 is a bracket bar 42 on which are pivotally disposed a apart combined stop and circuit controlling levers 43.

The bar 42has an upstanding pivot stud 44 for each lever 43, and the levers 43 correspond in number to the number of carrying wheels 35 but are ofiset therefrom lengthwise of the bracket bar 42. The levers 43 swing at their outer ends in an edgewise direction toward and from the planes of their respective car g wheels 35.

Each l in overlapping relation on its outer end, the shank of the hookhaving a longitudinal slot 46 through which engage a pair of headed guide studs 47 on the upper side of the lever ,43 and spaced apart a distance less than the length of the slot 46 to admit free shifting of the hook .on the lever. The hook 45 has its bill directed toward the adjacent carrying wheel 35 and facing toward thebar 42 or in the direction of approach of the stop block 36. -Ea'ch hook 45 hasan upstandlng contact 48 adapted to en age a fixed contact 49 mounted in the cabinet 20, such as near the topthereof, when the lever. 43 is swung into the path of the stop block 36. A spring 50 is connected between'the lever 43 and its hook 45, and is preferably connected at its ends to pins 51 on the lever and hook for normally retracting the latter and dis posing the contacts .48 and 49 in alinement.

ver 43 carries a slidable-hook 45 the tooth drops into the notch, by 'a spring v 61. There is a spring 61 for each drum wheel 59 and the springs 61 are each anchored at one end about the shaft 52 and bear at theirother ends against the elongated hubs 62 of the drum wheels 59.

The outer end portion of each hub 62 is reduced to receive thereon the intermediate apertured portion of a shifting arm 63, and

the arms 63 are held on the hubs 62 by nuts 64 orthe like. One end of each arm 63 is pivotally connected by a pivot 65 with a sliding connection, as shown in Figure 12, to'the inner end of a corresponding lever 43 for 1 swinging the latter when the drum wheel is shifted.

' The free ends of the shifting arms 63 are apertured and slidably engage about a shifting rod 66 supported in suitable brackets ms 67 and- 68 whichhold the rod 66 in parallel.

relation to the shaft 52. The-rod 66 carries a series of collars or shoulders 69 for shift 'ing the rod 66 when engaged by the arms 63 durin their shifting movement. The rear 7 9 end 0 the rod 66 is hollow to slidably receive the shank of a connecting fork 70 which is pivotally connected to one end of a switch arm 71, and a spring 72 is mounted on the shank of the fork 70 and bears against the i108 adjacent end of the rod 66 to urge the latter forwardly and compensate for relative rznovements between the rod 66 and the fork The drum wheels 59 are adapted to be manually and individually adjusted to dispose the various notches 60 in the desired angular relation to the teeth 58 of the respective. discs 54, 55, 56 and 57. To this end each drum wheel is provided with a fixed gear. wheel 73 which meshes with a corresponding gear wheel 74, the latter being of suflicient width to admit of the shifting of the drum wheel 59 with its gear wheel 73 without disturbing the intermeshing relation between the gear wheels. I

The respective gear wheels 74 are fixed upon the rear ends of a series of concentric shafts! 5, 76, 77 and 78, the latter at its rear end engaging in a bearing 79 and held a ainst shifting therein by a pm 80 dispose in a stepped or enlarged bore of the bearing. The forward ends of the concentric shafts project through the front wall of the cabinet '20 and are provided respectively with setting arms 81, 82, 83 and 84 which operate over a dial or face plate85 which is mounted on the front of the cabinet as shown in Figure 7. i

The dial'is divided, with suitabl desig nated numbers, into twenty four ivisions equidistantly spaced apart and arranged at oppfisite sides of the dial and designated for A. and P. M. as shown. For the purpose I of yieldably holding the concentric shafts 75,

76, 77 and 78 in adjusted position when set, each gear wheel 74 has a tension spring 86 of any suitable type, and as shown may be flat and secured at its lower end by a screw 87 upon a base plate 88. The plate 88 is turned up at one end in spaced relation to the spring 86 and carries a tension screw 89 adapted to be locked in position to maintain the spring 86 under desired tension against the ear wheel 74.

T e shaft 52 has a sprocket wheel 90 fixed on its forward end behind the bearing 53 and over which passes a sprocket chain 91 extending with its upper and lower passes at opposite sides of the setting shaft 75 and engaged over a driving sprocket wheel 92 carried on a driving shaft 93. The shaft 93 may be extended from'a clock 94, or the like, constructed to turn the shaft 93 one complete revolution each twenty-four hours.

The switch arm 71 is pivoted between its ends at 95 on 'a fixed bracket 96 and when raised at its free end is adapted to engage a fixed contact 97. The other end of the arm 71 is ivotall connected at 98 to the inner end 0 a shi t rod 99 slidably mounted in brackets 100 and 101. The rod 99 has spaced collars or shoulders 102 for engagement by shifting arms 103 slidably disposed at their free ends about the rod 99 one forwardly of each collar 102. The inner ends of the arms 103 are mounted each on the hub 104, see Figures 3 and 13, of a drum wheel 105 having a gear wheel 106 thereon. The hub 104 has a flange 107 against which the arm 103 isheld b a nut 108 threaded and shouldered on the ub. The drum wheel 105 has a notch 109 in its free edge at one side only for receiving the tooth' 1100f an adjacent disc, four such discs 111, 112, 113 and 114 being shown in the present instance.

These discs are fixed upon a shaft 115 mounted to turn in bearings 116 on the front and rear walls of the cabinet 20. The shaft 115 has a sprocket wheel 117 receiving a chain 118 thereover which is carried upon a sprocket wheel 119 on the clock shaft93.

The drum wheels 105 are. normally urged toward their respective discs 111, 112, 113 and'114 by springs 120 surrounding the shaft 115 and anchored at one end thereto and bear.- ing at their opposite ends against the adja-- cent hubs 104.

The gear Wheels 106 mesh with gear wheels 121 which are of greater width than the gear wheels 106 to permit shifting of the lat- The gear wheels 121 are mounted on concen- I trio shafts 122, 123 and 124, the latter being mounted in a bearing 125 and all of the shafts 122, 123 and 124 extending through the front wall of the cabinet 20 and having setting arms 126, 127 and 128 respectively.

The means associated with the shaft 115 is for stopping the radio reception at desired and optionally set times, while the means associated with the shaft 52 is for starting the radio reception at desired and o tionally set times. The drum wheel and dlsc arrangement for tripping or actuatin both of the means is of substantially identical construction.

In the stopping means, the innermost drum wheel 105, co-operating with the disc 114 is held a ainst turning by a spring locking 0g 129 su1tably mounted in the cabinet 20 and engaging the gear wheel 106 and being of su cient width to admitthe shifting of the gear wheel 106 and its drum wheel 105 when the tooth 110 of the disc 114 is turned into register with the notch 109.

The electric circuit controlled by the above mechanism may be as follows: from a source of current supply such as a battery 130 a wire 131 is carried to the switch arm 71 through the pivot 95 thereof. From the contact 97 a wire 132 is carried into the radio receiver,

not shown. Branch wires 133 connect the wire 132 to the several movable contacts 48 mounted on the hooks 45 of the switch levers 43. The fixed contacts 49 are connected by wires 134 to a reversing switch 135 arranged below one of the carrying wheels '35, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 11, and having an upstanding arm 136 adapted to be swung back and forth by a pin 137 on the wheel 35 at each turn of the latter. From the reversing switch 135 a wire 138 leads to the motor 34, and the latter is connected to the battery 130 by a return wire 139. The return wire 139 a so returns from the radio receiver as indicated.

The stop arms 126, 127 and 128 traverse a fixed dial 140 carried on the front of the cabinet 20. The dial 140 is similar to-the dial 85 in its hour divisions and in its division into A. M. and P. M. sections.

The setting arms 81, 82, 83 and 84 are adapted to control the starting of the reception of four different broadcasting stations, and if the respective arms are not of suflicient size to bear the various call letters, and if it A separate index 141 may be mounted on the face of the cabinet 20, or otherwise disposed, showing the rcspective call letter of the broadcasting station for which the particular arm is adjusted through the setting of the stop block 36 on its carrying wheel 35. For instance, the index shows that arm 1iS for Station WRG, and arm 81, hearing numher 1 through its connections and lever 43 causes the hook '45 to engage the adjacent stop block 36 when the connections are trip ed.

This particular stop block 36 is a justed on its carrying wheel to coincide with'the reading of the receiver. dial 23 which determines the adjustment of the dial 23 to bring in Station WRC. This stop block 36 may of course be adjusted on the carrying wheel 35 into various other positions to coincide with the dialing of other stations desired to be controlled by this setting arm 81.

' It is apparent 'that by a very slight modification in the mechanical connections between the improved automatic setting device and the receiver, that. the present invention may be applied to all types of receivers and when so applied operates as follows:

The purpose being to manually set the device and then permit it to automatically tune the receiver without further attention until the orderis to be changed, the operator takes the following steps:

The clock 94 is set in operation to turn the drive shaft 93 to turn once in twentyfour hours. Through the chains 91 and 118 the starting shaft 52 and the stop shaft 115 are also continuously o erated at the same speed as the drive sha t 93. The start ng arms 81, 82, 83 and 84 are now adjusted wit reference to their dial 85. From Figure 1 it will be observed that each notch 60 of the respective drum wheel 59 is located relatively to the position of the res ective setting arm, and is preferably locate on the side of the drum Wheel 59 corresponding to the direction in which its setting arm extends.

By way of example the setting arm 81 which indicates Station WHO is set for 6:30 A. M. To bring the arm 81 into this position it is manually turned with its shaft 75 and gear wheel 74, which latter turns the gear wheel 73 and its drum wheel 59. Such adj ustment brings the notch 60 into the desired location .to receive the tooth 58 when it is turned by the clock mechanism into a position corresponding to the movement of the clock to 6 :30 A. M.

When the tooth 58 registers with the notch .60 the tooth snaps ui-ckly into the notch 60 as the spring 61 a vances the drum wheel 59 toward the disc 54. This movement of the drum wheel 59 carries the shifting arm 63 therewith to swing the lever 43 and move the hook into the path of the'stop block 36. At the same time the hook 45 moves the contact 48 against the contact 49 to close the adjacent portion of the motor circuit.

Simultaneously the shifting arm 63 engages the adjacent collar 69 of theshifting rod 66 and moves the same backwardly to swing the switch arm 71 and close the main portion of the circuit not only through the motor 34 but also through the radio receiver connected to the wires 132 and 139.

The motor 34 drives the shaft 27 to turn the carrying wheels 35 until the stop block 36 is caught by the book 45, at which time the hook'is drawn outwardly against the tension of its spring to separate the contacts 48 and 49 to break the motor circuit. The carrying wheels are now brought to rest, and remain so until another setting arm trips its associated connections.

The motor, during its operation and through the shaft 27 and the chain 25 turns the tuning shaft 22 and sets the receiver on the selected station which in this case would be WRC.

This station remains tuned in until the stopping mechanism is brought into action, or until the connections of a second setting arm are tripped to automatically change the tuning. The second set of connections operate in the same manner as above described in connection with the setting arm 81.

As the tuning dial 23 usually makes only one-half of a turn for a complete dialing of the receiver, the reversing switch 135 is operated b the adjacent carrying wheel 35 throng its pin 137 to reverse the turning of the motor and the shaft 27 with itscarrying wheels 35 and also the dial 23.

The stop blocks 36 snap past any of the hooks 45 which may be tripped and the momentarv breaking of the circuit between the contacts 48 and 49 is not suificient to stop the reverse turning of the parts.

When it is desired to entirely stop or cut off the receptionat a desired predetermined time, the stop mechanism is manually set for such operation.

To effect this desired stopping one of the stop setting arms 126, 127 or 128 is correspondingly adjusted. For instance, if it is desired to out off the reception at 12 M, according to the tuned in reception above described, the operator turns one of the arms, such as the arm 128, to the indication 12 at the top of the dial 140. This action turns the shaft 124 with its gear wheel 121 and the intermeshing gear wheel 106 and its drum wheel to bring the notch 109 thereof into proper position corresponding to the time selected. As the disc 113 is continuously rotated, the tooth thereof drops into the notch 109 when it registers therewith by the action of the spring shifting the drum wheel 105 toward the disc 113. The shifting of the drum wheel 105 carriesthe arm 103 against the adjacent collar 102 and shifts the rod 99 backwardly and swings the switch arm 71 into open position, breaking the main circuit and cutting off the current to both the receiver and the motor 34.

This condition prevails until the setting mechanism again comes into action, and the setting and stop mechanism may be adjusted for alternately bringing in desired stations at desired times and stopping the reception completely for desired periods.

The stop device associated with the rea disc 114 is in the nature of an adjustablefixed stop, as the drum wheel 105 thereof is manually set in a definite desired position to arrest the reception by means of the gear Wheel 106 interlocked with the spring 129. No exterior adjusting is provided for this stop so as to provide a definite off position, such as indi cated on the dial 85, into which all of the setting arms 81, 82, 83 and 84 may be turned to prevent the operation of any of the parts. The fixed stop at such off time would maintain the main switch arm 71 open even during the operation of any of the setting devices, and hence no current could flow.

It will be noted that the various discs 54, 55, and 57 continuously turn and that their teeth 58 are so shaped as to ride out of the notches 60 in a short period of time. This resetting of the drum wheels 59 and connected parts does not interfere with the continuous operation of the receiver as the shifting arms merely move forwardly from their collars 89 and do not move the rod 66.

The spring 72 comes into play only when a stopping device and a setting device come into operation simultaneously, the stopping device governing the result as the spring '72 yields.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made the details of construction and design of the above specificallv described embodiment of this invention withol'it departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims:

was: claimed is 1, lvleans for controlling a radio receiver, comprising a pair of time controlled driven shafts, a series of trip members fixed on each shaft, a series of selectively set shifting devices for each shaft adjacent said trip members and adapted to be shifted when released by their respective trip members, a main switch controlling the receiver and connected to the shifting devices of one shaft for closing the switch upon operation of any one of the shifting devices of said shaft and connected to the shifting devices of the other shaft for opening the switch upon the operation of any of the shifting devices of said other shaft, a motor in circuit with the switch, a tuning shaft connected to the motor and driven thereby and connected to the receiver for tuning the same, adjustable stops on the tuning shaft one for each shifting device of said first time controlled shaft and adapted to be adjusted for selected stations to be tuned in.

and stop co-operating independent circuit closing and opening elements in circuit between said main switch and the motor and operable by the independent shifting devices of said first time controlled shaft for positioning in the paths of the respective stops.

2. In means for controlling a radio receiver, a continuously rotated shaft, a disc fixed to the shaft and having an axially extending tooth, a drum wheel loose on the shaft and having a notch in one side to receive the tooth when the disc is turned to register the tooth therewith, a spring on the shaft bearing against the drum wheel and adapted to shift-the same toward the disc when the tooth and notch register, a gear wheel on the drum wheel, a second shaft, a relatively broad gear wheel on the second shaft meshing with the first gear wheel to turn the drum wheel and admit the shifting thereof while the gears remain in mesh, manual means. for turning the second shaft to regulate the time of register of the tooth and notch, and a controlling device connected to the drum wheel and operable upon the shifting thereof.

In means lor controlling a radio re cei' er, a continuously rotating sh ft, a pair of relatively rotatable members on said shaft and he ing interlocking means adeptel to register when the members are in a relative predetermined angularposition on the shaft, means for relatively moving the members along the axis of the shaft into interlocking engagement when in said registering position, one of said members connected to the shaft to turn therewith and the other member rotatable freely on the shaft, 2. second shaft, manual means for turning th second shaft, and a connection between l e second shaft and said other member to turn the same and reghlate the time of register of the members in said relative predetermined position.

i, In means for con rolling radio rcceiver, a time controlled shaft, a manually rotatable shaft, a pair of rotatable members on said first shaft and having interlocking means for operation when the members are iii a. predetermined relative position on said first shaft, one of said members rotatable with the first shaft and the other member rotatable with the second shaft for manual adjustment to set the time of interlocking of the members, and a controlling device connected to one of the members and operable upon the interlocking of the latter.

5. 1n means for controlling a radio receiver, a shaft for connection with the tuning element of a receiver, a motor for driving the shaft and includii'ig a circuit, a carrying wheel fixed on the shaft having opposed teeth at its opposite edges and havingon-its periphery indices corresponding to the dial markings of a receiver, a stop block seated on the peripheral face of the wheel, spring pressed fingers carried by the stop block and on p selectivel interlocking with the teeth of the wheel to old the block in adjusted position relatively to the indices, a combined stop and Y circuit controllin lever ivotally mounted near one side of t e whee a hook mounted for longitudinal sliding movement on one end of the lever with the bill of the hook" freeing the wheel, a spring between the lever and the hook for normally maintaining the latter retracted, a circuit contact on the hook, a fixed circuit contact disposed adjacent the first contact, and time controlled means for swinging-the lever to close said contacts in said circuit of the motor and start the motor and move the bill of the hook into the path of said stop block, said block adapted to engage the hook and draw the same outwardly on the lever to separate the contacts and stop the motor.

6. In means for controlling a radio receiver, a wheel for connection with the tuning element of a receiver, a motor for turnin the Wheel and having a circuit, a stop blocg adjustably mounted for positioning on the peripheral portion of the wheel relatively to the tuning positions of said tuning element, a lever pivotally mounted at one side of the wheel, a normally retracted hook on the lever,

time controlled means for swinging the lever and moving the hook into the path of the stop block, circuit closing means connected to the hook to' close the motor circuit when the lever is actuated, said stop block adapted to engage the hook and draw the same outwardly to open the circuit and stop the wheel.

In testimony whereof I afiix 111 Si ature.

JOSEPH B. IL EN. 

